Hemp oil (or hemp seed oil) is one of my absolute favorite natural beauty products. I am slowly phasing out using synthetic, chemical-laden products on my body, and hemp oil is great for so many things. I've used this as an all-over moisturizer, facial cleanser (really works great on irritated skin and helps to even out skin tone... it even helps clear up acne), shaving gel, hair conditioner, massage oil and my new favorite: hair styling oil.

A few months ago, the media reported a story that was picked up by thousands of papers and news stations declaring that a new study had found organic food was not healthier than conventional.

For the masses who readily accept the sweeping declarations of the media and corporate funded research, this was welcome news. They had no need to spend extra money on organic fruits and vegetables or organic milk, eggs or meat. As the study had reported, the nutritional values were the same.

Two years prior to this study, my husband and I spent extra money, gas and time to change to a completely organic diet. We went from regular dairy to organic dairy, processed lunch meat to organic lunch meat, hormone and antibiotic-filled meat to grass fed, natural or organic meat, processed sugar to evaporated cane juice or local honey, etc.

If the findings of this study were accurate, we should not have seen a change in our health. We should not have lost weight. We should not have seen a change in our hormones. Oh... but... we abso-freakin'-lutely did. And the world of so-called scientific research scoffs at my anecdotal evidence... but here it is anyway.

I lost INCHES. My pants were literally falling off of me. My hormones changed so drastically that I experienced a drastic and severe hormonal fluctuation very much like that of coming off of birth control pills or hormone therapy. My cycle totally changed. And once my body got used to eating organic food (which, by the findings of one study, should have had no effect whatsoever), I felt better than I had felt in my entire life. I felt clean.My body didn't ache. I had no brain fog. And the same goes for my husband. But that's just anecdotal evidence.

What disturbs me most about this study is the glaring lack of concern for what the food does NOT contain. Naturally, an apple that has been sprayed with pesticides and shined up with chemical wax to make it more appealing and to have a longer shelf life will have the SAME nutritional value as an apple that has been grown organically. I'm not entirely sure what genius would have thought otherwise.

Let's put it this way: I have two glasses of water. They are both H2O. They both have the same chemical structure. They are both clear. Here's the difference: one glass of water is simply pure, filtered H2O... nothing else. The other glass is, of course, also H2O but to "preserve" the clarity and appeal, I've added a drop of arsenic (bear with me). I know you see where I'm going. Because the poison was added to the water to maintain its clarity and shelf life, it's possible to charge less. There's less monetary loss when the shelf life is extended. This is all really besides my initial point, however.

The point is this: why are we not more concerned about what's being ADDED to conventional products? Of course an apple is an apple (unless it's GMO... totally different story). I could take two apples and cover one with human excrement. They're both still apples -- one just has something added to it. And which would you prefer eat?

I've really ranted more than I intended to. My initial intention was to more or less explain why I eat organic (or at least eating without preservatives, hormones, antibiotics and GMO) and why eating this way is actually what will make or break your health.

In the next post, I'll list my reasons for eating organic foods (or simply foods that are free of preservatives, chemicals, hormones, antibiotics and GMO products) as well as explain why organic living will change your health.

It's been about a month since I first planted my little non-GMO seeds from SeedsNow.com, and I couldn't be happier to see the big green leaves growing in my little containers. :)

In my first post, you can see my little sprouts at a week and half... and here you see an enormous growth spurt. The kale, lima beans and cucumbers seem to be faring the best so far, but everything is growing!

It's still early enough in the season to start growing, and as promised here are the steps I took in starting my non-GMO, organic container garden. :)

"Cupping" Therapy -- an ancient form of Chinese holistic medicine. Bellabaci Cups are based on this method but without the side effects.

Two days ago I ventured into a catalog return and overstock store about 30 minutes before they closed for the evening. I usually find amazing half price deals on unusual items you can't find in most stores around here. As I was browsing through the beauty section, a small box caught my eye. I opened it up to find two small clear, silicone cups. The back of the box referenced Traditional Chinese Medicine, so I was instantly intrigued. I had no time to research the product, so I snatched it up and bought it before they closed (Thank God for 30 day return policies).

When I got home, I began doing some research on these Bellabaci Cups and discovered an alternative healing technique I had never heard of before called "cupping." Apparently cupping is a relative of acupuncture, but instead of using needles, glass cups are heated then placed on the body and create a suction. There are other variations as well, specifically where rubber cups can be used to create suction and massage the body.

The Bellabaci Cups are medical-grade silicone cups patterned after this "cupping" therapy. They claim to help reduce cellulite, fade stretch marks, ease migraines and headaches, relieve digestive trouble and more.

There are plenty of reasons to stop drinking diet drinks, and I'm sure you've heard them. There are infographics now plastered all over Facebook and Pinterest detailing the poisonous ingredients, and many people will self-righteously tell you how bad they are for you while they're inhaling a Little Debbie brownie.

When I was addicted to Diet Dr. Pepper, I remember a lady that I worked with pointing to the drink on my desk and arrogantly saying, "You know that's poison, don't you?" She was right, but I can assure you that's not the way to make anyone stop drinking them.

We've been handed these drinks so innocently that no one would suspect that it's as bad as giving a cigarette to a baby (that MIGHT be an exaggeration...). In all serious though, we are seeing so many physical problems now LINKED to aspartame poisoning, and I know first hand how terrifying this is. I also know how much it affects your brain. My senior year of high school, I felt like I had a block in my brain. I still performed well, but I remember having such a difficult time processing information and even writing papers... and I was an A student who excelled in writing. This block was not lifted until I threw away the diet drinks and eliminated aspartame from my diet.

It took me a long time to wean myself away from sodas, and it was not an easy road. I remember literally praying that I wouldn't like them anymore. It was such a struggle. If I was car sick, I wanted a bubbly, fizzy cola. If I was at a ballgame or the movies or out to eat, I always wanted a coke. The bubbles called my name... and the fizzier the better. I KNEW how bad they were for me. I KNEW the chemical structure of aspartame and the hazards that came along with it. But I craved them.

When my husband and I got on the organic bandwagon a few years ago, we would haul coolers of ice an hour and 45 minutes out of town to shop at Earthfare (the closest place to buy a variety of organic, clean foods) and stock up on 2 weeks worth of groceries. It was at this time I found Zevia.

I had been off of sodas as much as I could be, but I still found myself giving in to the temptation far more often than I care to admit (not diet ones at this time, but the sugary ones). I still craved the bubbles.

Zeviasgave me an alternative. No sugar. No artificial sweeteners. They're sweetened with STEVIA. These drinks literally changed my life and allowed me to kick the coke habit for good. Almost every flavor was amazing -- especially the Ginger Root Beer and the Cream Soda. By the way, the Zevia Cream Soda is by far the best cream soda I've ever had... and I love me some cream soda. :)

If you're struggling to quit diet soda or regular soda, Zevias are an amazing alternative. The company is growing, and just in the past week or so they started offering a glass bottle option. I cannot wait to try those! In case you've never noticed, the container actually does make a difference in the taste of drinks. :)

Look for Zevia at a store near you, and check out their website for good coupons and contests. You can also buy Zevias online at Amazon here.

Tomorrow the husband and I will be going to Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festivalfor a lovely 3-day weekend of music -- Sheryl Crow, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Smashing Pumpkins and LOTS more.

Outdoor festivals like these may be one of the hardest places to find food that you can actually eat if you try not to fill your body with sugar, flour and antibiotic and hormone-infused animal meat.

There are always concession stands filled with funnel cakes and foot-long corn dogs and Coca-Cola and Pepsi carts... not exactly food I can indulge in. On top of that, most of the music festivals like Memphis in May do not allow outside food or drinks -- so bringing a jug of infused water or a bag of broiled chick peas is a no-no.

So I have been wondering how I would get by this weekend. I really did not want to have to choose the least of the evils... but I obviously don't want to starve either.

A few hours ago, I was searching for a little information on the line-up for the weekend and I ran across a post on the Memphis in May website that said "What can I eat?" I clicked on it expecting to see the usual funnel cake, gyro and lemonade stands... and to my surprise, they have a fantastic selection of vendors. There are vendors who serve dried fruit and nuts, veggie burgers, fresh cut sweet potato fries, organic salad and -- this is my favorite -- GRASS FED LOCAL HAMBURGERS. I am floored... and thrilled.

Now I can go enjoy some music, eat good clean food and not wonder where my next meal will come from. :)

Thank you, Memphis in May, for understanding and providing options for those of us who desire and require something different from the norm.

Looking forward to a weekend of good food, good music and good fun... and hopefully less rain than expected!

Okay. I am still unbelievably amazed at the effectiveness of this acupressure point. I want to know where my face went. Or maybe I don't. I'm just thankful that when I look in the mirror I see my young, slim face again.

A few weeks ago I had the notion to start a container garden. I've never gardened. I've never so much as planted a seed. I have picked a squash or two from my parents' garden before, but I've never actually placed my own two hands into the dirt and attempted to grow my own food.

My husband and I often discuss the lack of true open-mindedness in our society and how it has radically limited advancement and growth in every area of our lives and culture. When you look at great discoveries of the past, they come from individuals who are not convinced that the science of their day has it all figured out. They veer from the logical path and question the status quo. They risk mockery and judgment and step away from the strongly held beliefs of their society. They are open to something different and something new -- something that opposes the "truth of the time."

Open-Mindedness Precedes GrowthIt's always sad to hear someone quickly dismiss an idea or a theory without ever giving it an opportunity to breathe. Immediate dismissal is the mark of the narrow mind -- even if the idea flies in the face of logic, reason and science -- and it is a definite sign of stagnated growth.

We have a tendency to believe that our way is the best way -- the only way -- and that anyone who believes differently is a bumbling fool who has not yet been enlightened. We don't consider that we could be the bumbling fools. We look back to our past and see our ancestors as ignorant and uncivilized. We never stop to consider that our so-called advancements could lead to our ultimate downfall and perhaps our ancestors understood something that we don't.

We have laws of physics on this earth; however, history has shown us that those "laws" can be wrong. Without questioning standard beliefs -- without realizing the science of our day may be flawed -- we cannot grow.

Without open-mindedness, the world may still be regarded as flat. Without open-mindedness, we wouldn't know that time is relative. Without open-mindedness, we may never have had the advances of alternating current (thank you, Tesla, for your radical open-mindedness).

So open-mindedness is necessary for growth and new discoveries. True open-mindedness does not quickly dismiss the impossible, the ridiculous, the illogical, the "pseudoscience" -- because true open-mindedness is OPEN to possibility and new truth and is willing to admit that it may be wrong. The quick dismissal is the mark of the narrow-minded -- no matter how open minded they believe they are.

So I got the flu this year. Fortunately, I had elderberry lozenges on hand. Fever, aches and chills were gone within an hour, and by day 3 I was able to go back to work for half a day. Yes, elderberry is good stuff. Read the rest of this entry for details and a link to a study detailing the effectiveness of elderberry in lessening flu symptoms.

These are the lozenges I used. I now have 4 packs on my shelf! -----------------

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Who is SHE?

I'm just a girl who loves the abstract, the colorful, the mysterious and the impossible.My favorite thing in this life is having a fella with whom I can be unashamedly gross and silly and in the next moment discuss the philosophy and physics of the universe. I also love pumpkins, the color orange, trees, autumn leaves, the writings of Soren Kierkegaard, creative endeavors of all kinds, and the beauty, wonder & healing power of nature.